COURT CIRCULAR

Buckingham Palace

Today is the Seventy Seventh Anniversary of the Birthday of The King.

Their Majesties today visited South Wales.

The King and Queen this afternoon attended a Reception at Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Cyfarthfa Park, Brecon Road, Merthyr Tydfil, to celebrate the Castle’s Two Hundredth Anniversary and His Majesty’s Birthday, and were received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan (Professor Peter Vaughan), Ms Susan Walker (Director of Education, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council), Ms Kelly Powell (Museums Manager) and Councillor Paula Layton (Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil).

Afterwards Their Majesties met members of the local community outside the Castle.

The King later officially opened the Walnut Tree Depot, Taff’s Well, Cardiff Road, Taff’s Well, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and was received by Mr Robert Holmes (Chief of Staff, Transport for Wales).

His Majesty boarded the tram-train Myddfai and drove a short distance before disembarking, being received by Mr Huw Irranca-Davies (Deputy First Minister of Wales), the Rt Hon Joanna Stevens MP (Secretary of State for Wales) and Councillor Sheryl Evans (Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf), and toured the depot.

The Queen visited Cyfarthfa Park Primary School, Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil, to mark Poetry Together Day, and was received by Colonel Philip Hubbard (Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan).

By command of The King, Mr Alistair Harrison (Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps) called upon His Excellency Mr Magzhan Ilyassov at 125 Pall Mall, London SW1, this morning in order to bid farewell to His Excellency upon lately relinquishing his appointment as Ambassador from the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Court of St James’s.

St James’s Palace

The Duchess of Edinburgh, accompanied by His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Peru (His Excellency Mr Gavin Cook), this morning called upon The President of the Republic of Peru at the Government Palace, Lima.

Her Royal Highness this afternoon departed Jorge Chávez International Airport, Lima, for Panama and was received later upon arrival at Tocumen International Airport, Panama City, by His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Panama (His Excellency Mr Greg Houston).

The Duchess of Edinburgh this evening attended a Reception at Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, Panama City, acknowledging United Kingdom-Panama relations.

Her Royal Highness afterwards called upon Mr Javier Martínez-Acha (Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama).

The Duchess of Edinburgh subsequently departed Tocumen International Airport for Guatemala and was received later upon arrival at La Aurora International Airport, Guatemala City, by His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala (Her Excellency Mrs Juliana Correa).

St James’s Palace

The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, this morning arrived at Heathrow Airport, London, from Singapore.

Colonel John Boyd and Captain Fergus Lupton were in attendance.

Kensington Palace

The Duke of Gloucester, Patron, the Japan Society, this evening attended the Annual Dinner at the House of Commons, London SW1.